The present invention relates to graphical user interface toolbars and/or buttons.
In the graphical user interface for a computer, a toolbar is a horizontal row or vertical column of one or more selectable image “buttons” that give a user a constantly visible reminder of and an easy way to select certain desktop or other application functions, such as saving or printing a document or moving pages forwards or backwards within a Web browser. A button is a graphical element in a dialog box that, when activated, performs a specific function. A user activates the button by clicking on it with a mouse or, if the button has the focus, by hitting the “Return” or “Enter” key.
Most operating systems come with a toolbar. In addition, many application programs, such as word processors and spreadsheet programs, come with one or more toolbars as part of their user interface.
In addition to the toolbars that come with an operating system desktop or an application, some software developers or third parties provide supplementary toolbars that can be downloaded and installed. Supplementary toolbar functions can include quick access to news, sports, and weather headlines, instant form completion, instant access to favorite sites, faster searches, and so forth. A similar user interface device, the taskbar, provides information about active applications.